You ask your Equerry - your straight-as-an-arrow, so-square-she's-all-edges bitch of an Equerry - to tell you more about what she's suggesting. A suggestion that you never thought would actually come from her, of all people.

You'd have expected it to come from Kharn, or even Risa, being the weird foreigners they are. Not from Miki Sayaka herself, famous in your Officio for having such a big stick up her ass she'd be able to beat God to death with it if she ever managed to lever it out of there.

"W-what else is there to say about it? I-it's not fucking rocket science, Murderface." Sayaka stutters here, and you could feel her glaring at the back of your head. Probably trying to see if she could make your brain explode out the front of your skull. "Just...it's just having a relationship with two people at the same time."

Isn't...isn't that just two-timing, though? Cheating on another girl with another? That's pretty much what got you into shit with Wendy in the first place. Is Sayaka giving you a shovel to dig yourself deeper in the hole you've already dug for yourself?

"No, it's not cheating, for fuck's sake!" Sayaka growls from behind her rebreather. "It's different! Cheating's when you take up another relationship on the sly and neglect the first one. What I'm suggesting is taking another relationship, then making sure your first relationship knows about this and is okay with it, and maybe another relationship forms from that. So it's...instead of just two people, it's three." You hear her mumble 'dumbass' under her breath. "Do you understand? That's a pretty important distinction, you know."

...Yeah. You sort of do. It's...do Americans actually do that kind of thing? You know about Kharn and her sleeping around, but this is a completely different level...

"Good. Sayaka nods. "Anyway. I learned about it during one of the times I had to visit the Eighth on Officio business. Before your time, so you weren't there."

Huh. Well, how did that look like?

"It was alright, I guess?" Sayaka shrugs her bare shoulders here. "Didn't look all that different from a typical relationship, just more members. I was expecting it to be absolutely creepy, but it looked alright."

She chuckles, the sound strangely resembling that someone drowning underwater. "They still have the same fights couples go through, arguments, taking sides and such, but it's neat to have a third party to mediate things whenever things get too bad. Also helps when one of them is away or busy - the one left behind isn't too lonely or neglected, since she's got the other one."

Sayaka hesitates. "One thing I did notice, though. All the setups like that I found? The...three-person setup?" She holds up a gloved hand, three fingers raised. "They have sex a lot. Like...a whole lot of it. AWOL lot." She frowns and shudders, as if visibly shaken from a memory. "Stumbled into one of their showers once, and...well. You know."

...She doesn't say.

Americans, huh?

"Americans." Sayaka nods sagely.

What do you do now?

[]Ask Sayaka how you can...apply this new information to your situation. Hypothetically, of course.[]Set this new information aside, contact Kyuubey. Report on your current status.[]Focus on getting home safely. You can talk about this later.

>>30730282>[]Ask Sayaka how you can...apply this new information to your situation. Hypothetically, of course.It feels like both of them have imbibed quite a lot of alcohol and are concocting some crazy scheme.

>>30730272We've got something to do inbetween posts now: discuss the arcana of the other characters.

>>30730282[x]Ask Sayaka how you can...apply this new information to your situation. Hypothetically, of course.Normally I'd forgo pursuing this discussion in favor of doing our job, but I'm really interested in hearing Sayaka's thoughts on this.

>>30730282[X]set new info aside, contact kyubey[X]talk to Mami about situation when you get back[X]check mm x mm for threesomes involving the chars[X] make sure midori catches us reading it[X] mention not knowing she was into threesomes[X] bring up the topic

>>30730475Eh, I'm against it on the grounds that most things we could find in MMxMM would probably just give us the wrong idea. The exception would probably be her kinks, relationship stuff on the other hand I'd be very wary of taking anything from her writing.

>>30730591They were completely isolated for 200+ years until the US showed up in 1853 and said "open up and trade with us or we'll fucking kill you all."Semi-relevant, synopsis for a show airing in April:>In the late Edo period, Japan had experienced an unprecedented crisis by Kurofune (Black Ships), the ships from foreign countries. But a giant robot called Onigami, which has existed since ancient time, dispelled the Kurofune ships and the exclusion of foreigners was accomplished. The story begins in Japan where Meiji restoration in 1868 didn't happen. The tagline says, "I can be the greatest man in the world, because I am a virgin!!"

>>30730623while a friend of mine was living in Japan, a Japanese woman offered him a bottle of sake in exchange for showing her his dick, because she wanted to see if it was true that white men are bigger. Japanese people are weird.

>>30730850>Mami The Chariot instead of The Empress?You do realize that's a joke, in the vein of "Mami is the town bicycle" (because she totally is)?Re-read the tags up in the status screen and then go buy yourself a sense of humor at the cornerstore.

>>30731079>Deculturewell its about time, we've been pushing for watermelon route ever since we got Midori, so I think after all these threads its finally nice to make some progress towards that, but Decu being Decu, of course there must be some shadowruns thrown in

You consider this new information that Sayaka's given you, and mentally file it away. It's...something interesting to look into a bit more, you think. You're not sure if you'll go through with it at all - it sounds like a messy way to deal with things, despite Sayaka's assurances - but at least you have a go-to plan in case you're pressed to do something about it.

Right now, though, you're just trying to get yourself and your two squadmates back home, so you focus on that for now. You make sure to thank Sayaka for telling you about it, however. After all, it's not every day that she's helpful. It's not everyday that she actually listened to your problems instead of telling you to shut up or kill yourself.

"Well, don't spread it around. I don't need more people thinking I'm trying to butter you up for another promotion, or something." Sayaka snaps here, although you can hear the smile in her voice. "Now go on and get us home, Murderface. I'm kind of losing all blood circulation in my legs, here, so I'd like to get home sooner than later, alright?"

Sure. You'll get on that.

As you turn back to the task at hand - that is, manhandling the stolen MiG into getting you back into Japanese airspace - it's here that you attempt to contact Kyuubey. He'd want to know what's going on now, at least.

Drawing upon Dildoes' half-remembered memories of operating jets of similar make, you manage to get the MiG's comms working. Soon, Kyuubey's voice crackles from the speakers of your pilot headset.

"Ah, Matsuda. How considerate of you to call in." There's no discernable difference as to how Kyuubey is talking now and how he talked before, but you could swear he sounds almost...relieved. Not really something you're used to, at all.

"You've secured your evac, I presume? We've been tracking your position, and unless you've suddenly sprouted wings, you seem to be making quite a speedy return. You just passed Manila just a few moments ago."

Ah. Yeah, you find an alternative evac from your own Shield. Convenient, that.

"Yes, quite so." Now the mutant cat bastard sounds amused. "Very fortunate of you to just have a functioning, well-maintained MiG in your Shield, Matsuda. I'm sure that you were thinking of using it for this exact purpose when you procured it from...wherever you got it from. Am I correct to assume that?"

...Yeah. Just in case this specific scenario happened.

"Very well." A pause here. "Ashford is also en route to return, so you'll probably catch up on your current flight path. I've also made sure the necessary airspace watchers have been sufficiently warned of your approach, so they don't suddenly shoot down what appears to be a lone, armed jet fighter of the Russian Air Force making its way to Japan."

That's...nice of him. You thank Kyuubey for this.

"Always a pleasure to assist my Warmaster." The incubator has never sounded so smug while deflecting gratitude. "Right. What of the objective, Matsuda? Has it been secured?" A moment, and it's here that Kyuubey seems to sound...well, just a tiny bit vindictive. Almost cruel. "And how much of a bother were my younger brother's henchmen to you? What did they scream when you murdered them?"

>>30731352[X] One of them kept screaming about killing everything, one kept screaming at the other that it was against their orders and the other one I think was screaming about me beating her unconscious with her own arms, it was a bit hard to hear her. The package is secured though, Sayaka saw to that. We need medical assistance when we land for Kyouko, she took a bit of a beating this time

>>30731506I believe this was covered last thread, general accepted policy is to leave soul gems of downed MGs to be recovered by their signed officio. Doesn't always happen that way, but that's the intent.

>>30731676I think its more that she thinks Wendy would be bad influence on Chiaki, now that Chiaki has become a tiny bit more "respectable". If it was the other way around (Chiaki influenced Wendy), she would probably be happy.

>>30731744Probably. Essentially the whole thing comes from that cat taming writeup. If I may quote:

“She’s a different person now, Wendy-san. She’s finally getting rid of some of the awful habits she’d picked up from Kharn and…” Miss Tomoe nibbled her lip a little, then sighed softly. “And from you, Wendy.” She stared into her tea, giving the implications a moment to sink in. …Not that they needed to. It hit me almost as hard as the amnesia.

Oh. Oh fuck no. She was trying to tell me I wasn’t good enough for her little girl anymore.

You turn back to Sayaka, who's also looped into this conversation via the copilot headset she'd also slipped on when you started to contact Kyuubey - and the blue-haired Eversor shrugs, evidently confused as well. You turn back to your controls, before replying to the seemingly...well, oddly bloodthirsty mutant cat bastard.

The objective's secure, you mention that right off. The gaudily-decorated jewelry box, just like the client ordered.

As for the Sixteenth, well...they didn't scream a lot when they died. They did however, scream a lot before the fact. Mostly it was just grandstanding, the usual death threats and promises of retribution. Nothing you haven't heard before. You made sure to at least leave the Soul Gems of those you put away intact, so they could try again next time.

That's the first time you had to specify that kind of thing, especially in a report call. Is...is everything alright over there? Is Kyuubey okay?

...Christ, the mutant cat bastard's got you asking about how he is. He actually got you to be CONCERNED about him.

Is this how deeply the watch-wearing dildoness has seeped into you? Is this how much you've been corrupted?

There's silence at the other end of the line, followed by a low chuckle. "While I appreciate your...very rare concern, Matsuda, I'm afraid that it was simply a failed attempt at humor in my part. I was trying to see if you'd be amused by trying to behave as unhinged as some of my brothers keep insisting I actually am."

"As I said, a failed attempt. I'll endeavor to make a more spirited attempt in the future, when the opportunity allows itself."

Huh. Well. It's...as long as he's not actually insane, then.

"I assure you I haven't. Causing you undue concern was the completely opposite reaction I was looking for." Another chuckle. "If I had, then you would know for a certainty immediately. There would be no room for doubt when it happens."

Ah. That's good to know, then.

"In any case, I congratulate you for a job well done. Please extend this to Miki Sayaka and Sakura Kyoko as well, the latter I can hear snoring even from here. I suppose you'll want a medical evac for her once you land?"

...Yeah, you'll want that evac. And about that landing--

"I've already had Mitakihara Airport cease all operations and clear all their runways in preparation for your approach, Matsuda." Your Incubator cuts you off here. "I've also dispatched the evac to meet you upon landing and provide medical attention to Sakura Kyoko - and yourself as well, should you require it." Kyuubey pauses for a moment. "Is that satisfactory?"

Uh. It's...yeah, that's...satisfactory, you reply after a moment of stunned awe. Your Incubator just fucking shut down one of the largest airports in Japan. Just how much influence does this mutant cat have?

"Don't be so surprised, Matsuda. This isn't the first mission I've sent my own Warmaster into. It's natural for an Incubator to handle things personally when his Warmaster is involved, after all." A smug silence. "Ah, about the main objective. I do hope you haven't opened it? It's harmless and inert as it is right now, but opening it could cause complications you'd probably not want to deal with."

...Yeah, you didn't open it. No one did.

"Very good, Matsuda. Will there be anything else, then? Anything else you'd like to mention or ask?"

[]Ask about the main objective. What's inside the box?[]Nothing else, Kyuubey. Just no more jokes, alright?[]Other.

>>30732496[x]Other."Have you reported to the First about the danger of the Golden Weapons? Until they come down like the fist of an angry god, I don't think the other Officio's will listen that the GW's are bad news."

>>30732560How about a wonderful exchange program where we give a golden weapon to each officio and let their best operator go crazy and murder-happy so that we can say "I told you so" and clean up the mess?

>[x]Ask about the main objective. What's inside the box?>inb4: coobs mummy he wants to devour and gain its powerMaybe ask to keep the container (once the object inside was delivered) refill as you see fit and prank-mail it to XVI th (also make sure to label it "not a bomb").

Made it.>>30732496[x]Nothing else, Kyuubey. Just no more jokes, alright?We can ask in person if we're that curious.>>30732599That reminds me : Is there some kind of Officio version of fantasy football? And do megucas get traded around like athletes?

Well, there is something you'd like to know. It's been nagging at you for the entire duration of the mission, as soon as you got the dossiers.

...What's inside the box? Kyuubey's all but confirmed that it's not the actual box itself - as bejeweled and gaudily ornate as it is - and that whatever's inside isn't something to be fucked with. So if it's not too much to ask - you are his Warmaster after all - what the hell is inside the box you and your squad very nearly got killed trying to steal?

Silence at the other end, long enough that you wonder if you've lost the connection - before Kyuubey speaks up. "Well. I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to let my Warmaster know. You are very nearly ratified, after all." A blurt of static, followed by a series of beeps, and Kyuubey's voice comes through clear than before. Louder, too. "I've switched to an encrypted channel. Miki Sayaka, would you mind if Matsuda and I a few moments to ourselves?"

You turn to look at Sayaka again, who blinks and shrugs - before reaching forward on her own control panel and unplugging her headset. On your own controls, you patch Kyuubey's frequency through to your own headset, and only your own. No one else would be able to listen in, not even your Equerry.

"Now, before I tell you, Matsuda. What do you know about Grief Seeds?"

Grief Seeds? You blink at this. Well, they're what Soul Gems turn into when Magical Girls turn into Witches. They're also what's dropped by Witches after they're destroyed, used to clean other Soul Gems and keep their owners functional and non-Witchy.

"Correct." Kyuubey responds. "You are also familiar of the fact that Soul Gems, improperly handled and left in the wild, has the potential to reconstitute itself into a Witch, yes? Or at the least, a familiar?"

What about Grief Seeds, then? Is Kyuubey telling you that the thing inside the box is a Grief Seed?

"Yes, it is, Matsuda. It is a Grief Seed--"

You open your mouth to cut him off, there. What?! The mutant bastard cat sent you to another fucking country just for a Grief Seed?!

"--and yet not a Grief Seed." Kyuubey finishes despite your interruption. "This is a new type of Grief Seed entirely, Matsuda. One that we believe comes from Witches much more powerful than the sort we're used to. The discrepancy between them is enough that we are forced to come up with a new name for them, to prevent confusion."

Really. So what are they called, then?

"A Witch Core." Kyuubey replies. "The one you were sent to retrieve belongs to a Witch categorized as Alpha. As you know, there is only one other category higher than that, and the Witch named FAUST is the sole member of that category."

...Right. So what's the name of the Witch whose 'Witch Core' or whatever you were sent to retrieve, then?

"Octavia von Seckendorff," Kyuubey promptly says. "Named, curiously enough, after one of the main figures in the Blessed Lady mythology."

Octavia von Seckendorff? That's...a bit of a funny name. You're used to Witches having short, one-word names, but you suppose the stronger a Witch is, the more names they have, or something.

It's also strangely familiar. Not the good kind of familiar either, but the bad kind. The one where you feel your gut slowly clench at the memory of it.

In the back of your mind, you hear Braids gasp. And behind your seat, you hear Sayaka humming to the refrain of a Kirishima Ruri song you already forgot the title to.

>>30733846>How do you react?"Who got that Witch down? 16th?""And idea what it could be good for? Other than purging Soul Gem multiple times.""Also would you mind refreshing my memory who are the other main figures in the Blessed Lady mythology?"

>>30733934If the timeline resets aren't particularly clean or thorough, it might be possible that certain elements from previous realities could persist or carry over. Or if there were other players who made sure certain elements would carry over.

>>30733974At the end of PMMM Madoka takes Sayaka away, then its implied in Rebellion that She retains consciousness after death, allowing her what could almost be considered a post-death enlightenment before going back into Homu's Barrier for the rescue attempt.So yeah, likely she did get more powerful after death, blame Madokami.

>>30734441Yeah. Though it occurs to me that Pinky might already have realised that, since Braids manifested. In that case, we probably don't have anything to lose. Though I don't know if Pinky is always watching?

>>30734457Most likely either it would work normal, or the two would merge in some crazy dimensional-merging-thing and give rise to an even more powerfull Oktavia.

Well some of the Officios have their own in-house sporting events that they take seriously! The Sixth has their own version of Blood Bowl, typically held inside a Witch Barrier. The Second have jousting and swordfighting tournaments. The Eighth have hamburger eating contests. The Ninth has 100-person kumites, karaoke and drinking contests!

>>30734499I've never even thought of such a thing before! I'll meditate on this one!

>>30734516She'll have a tantrum, but you can always talk to her. She's reasonable!

>>30734415"Yo, bitch, you remember how we agreed that if one crazy thing I say proves correct, all of them are?""We didn't...""Well, listen to this, in that box is your Witch. And it's goddamn Alpha level.""Bullshit!""Wanna see it?">what could go wrong.jpg

>>30734594>She'll have a tantrum, but you can always talk to her. She's reasonable!Told you guys that we don't need to kill her, or anyone else for that matter. If we can talk down Pinky, then we can talk down anybody!

>>30734594Something I've been wondering about : How much of the original PMMM is canon and how much of it is non-canon to this quest? I know Sayaka hasn't witched out yet, but are her and Kyoko's wishes the same as they were, for instance?

>>30734800>Some of them do take obsessive tallies, but others go for the big name ones.

What's the Ninth policy on this? QB will surely keep meticulous records, but how do the girls handle it?Aka, how would girls build a reputation if slaughtering and/or fucking three squads of magical girls in less than a hour is not an option?

>>30734800How can Walpurgisnacht ever reach the same level as FAUST, considering it was established in PMMM canon that Madokas witch form is easily strong enough to destroy the planet in 10 days or less. And thats not even the Madokami version which was bigger than the entire planet.

>Having the viewpoint that there is no way to 'fuck this up' so long as the storytelling is good.>Implying the only end worth having is the '100% Perfect Score Fuck All Other Concerns' end in something as unpredictably non-linear as a quest.

>>30735876>>30735936Not -all-, but most of the ones that contract with the Sixth have some monstergirl-like quality. The ones that I already know about take their traits from predatory animals like lions and wolves, but Decu says he's got a few more he's finalizing.

>>30736293I don't think Homura became powerfull because of time looping (beyond the normal growth due to practise and experience). That only happened to Madoka, since Madoka was the center of Homuras wish and the reason why the looping was happening.